(3.5 / 5)
Like a true story that’s not really true.
Room is the story of Joy (Brie Larson) and her son Jack (Jacob Tremblay), who live their lives within the confines of a small room. 5-year-old Jack, who has never actually been outside his whole life, is under the impression that the room is the entire world.
The pace of the film and the way the narrative plays out mirrors real life so much more than fiction. While the realism part is most welcome, it’s a little dull in parts – to the point where a part of me was hoping for some sort of misfortune just to liven things up a bit! I wouldn’t go as far to say that it was boring at any point, but there is a lot to be said for a strong tempo and flow. The concept of the story is far superior to the actual screenplay.
Acting really is the star of the show here and i’m sure that is much of the reason why the less exciting parts are still entertaining to a certain degree. Brie Larson’s Oscar was well deserved for her portrayal of Joy. Jacob Tremblay also does an outstanding job in his role as Jack, especially considering his age. The musical score by Stephen Rennicks is really nice as well. Listen out for a beautiful track which plays during the height of the drama.
Room is a decent film, and worth a look – but I must say it’s not the sort of film where you walk out feeling wowed and eager to have a conversation with someone about it (as I expected it to be).
Room premieres in Sweden on March 18.